Flotation apparatus



H. H. BONNELL. FLOIATION APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3.1918.

Patented Dee H. H. BONNELL. FLOTATION APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1918.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921b 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- .vw amnummmg llllitlitlllrtiltl. Itll. ltlt'litdihli llitillr, till lllllllili 'lllld, tltllltllltdflfl.

llfihtlldiit ll.

i implication illicit .ltprtt t,

a citizen of the United tltates residin at thecity and county of Denver and 'ldtate of t Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flotation Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description ot" the invention, such as will enable others skilled in in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the separation of mineral values by what isjlrnown as the flotation process.

The object of the invention is to obtain the separation'readily and completely, and with W a simple apparatus.

Briefly the invention consists in a machine and process by which the pulp mixed with oil is introduced into the first ot a plurality of compartments, carried up through a pas ti sage by an airlift, or other suitable'rneans, overflowed onto a smooth or preferably rifiled aeration apron from which it flows back partly into the firstcompartment and partly intothe adjacent compartment. The

scum orifroth rises to the surface as the p ulpflows over the apron, is in a sense dried thereon and floats better after flowing back into the'tanlr, from which it is skimmed oil into a launder. at Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation ol the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a front view as indicated by the line 2-2, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section talren on the line 3-tl of big. 1. i

Fig. t is a plan view as indicated by line d l, of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of. a slightly modified at form.

Fig. 6 shows partly in section a modified form of pulp-elevating mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an exploded pers ective showing the parts of the valve control ing the tailings to discharge.

A plurality 0t compartments are peed, there being shown in the drawing a receiving compartment 12, an intermediate .:o1npartinent 18, and a tailings discharge co'mpart 56 mcnt it. Each compartment is tapered to all ward the bottom thereof both laterally and Eipceiilcation all letters llatent.

Patented lD ee. ti, 1192i.

ltlllt. tttrial lilo. tlftttdfid.

longitudinally and in such manner that the tops ol the dividing walls slopefu wardly from the rear of the machine to t e front,

of the machine as indicated in dotted lines in Fig 1, the uppermost part 16 being horicent and extendin slightly above the front wall, as shown in *ig. 2, whereby the forward part or each compartment is separated from the adjacent compartment.

it. ulp-teed pipe 17 having a tunnel shaped top enters the receiving compartment l2 at a point below the normal li uid level indicated in Fig. 1 by the dashedline 18.

i-tlong the back wall of each compartment a pipe 19 extends from the bottom to the to and opens into a hood 20 which e'xten 8 across the back of the entire machine and has its forward side open. An apron 21 also extends the full length of the machine, and from the back of the hood 20 forwardly about half the width of the machine. or a little more, the rear of the apron being aper-.

tured to register with pipes 19. This apron is preferably provided with riili'es 22, and the forward end may be supported by adjustable braces 23 for varying the inclination of the apron, the rear end being hinged or otherwise suitably supported.

For each pipe 19 an airlift is provided which comprises a nozzle 24 extending through the bottom of the compartment into the lower part of the pipe, and communicating with a compressed air nozzle is controlled by a va ve 26, and. the pipe 25 by a valve 27.

At the forward edge ot the machine-a skimmer is journaled in arms 31 and shims oil the froth or scum into launder 32. Tlhe blades 33016 the skimmer are crenelated at 34; to fit about the upstanding edges 16 of the partitions 15. The skimmer may be rotated by any means such as a belt 35 and motor 36.

The railings discharge is from the compartment i l through a pipe and is con trolled by a valve A whose parts are shown in Fig. 7. This valve is operated by arms dti tilt.

ipe 25. Each llll Elli

lltltl l1 and 42 which are pivoted together, arm

lltl

pivotally secured in operative relation by a screw bolt which passes through perforations in the center of the walls 52 and 53.

In Fig. 5 a slight modification of the tank structure is shown. Here the tank is only about half as wide as the tank of F ig.- 1, this structure being practicable for the reason that only the front half of the form of Fig. 1 is actually used. In this modification the airlift pipe 19 extends outside of the tank to hood 20, the forward edge of the apron 21 resting on the top of the rear wall of the tank. I

In Fig. 6, an endless bucket conveyer 60 is shown as a substitute for the air lift of the other form, this conveyer working in a vertical chamber 61, thebottom of which "is connected with the bottom of the tank by a passage 62. The conveyer may be operated by such means as a motor 63, and the discharge from the buckets is through a spout. 64.- in the top of the chamber 61 onto tl1e apron (not shown).

In the operatlon of the machine the pulp mixed with oil is fed through pipe 17, Where slight mixin and aeration takes place, into the receiving compartment 12 and is forced by the airlift 24 up through pipe 19, where it is thoroughly mixed with air, into hood 20, whence it flows down over apron 2h in a thin stream. Thus the mineral-oil-air bubbles, have an opportunity to rise freely and quickly to the surface through the thin stream of pulp without resistance or obstruction, instead of having to rise tllI'OllO'h a great body of pulp as heretofore. The riflles 22 form a series of cascades which aid in aerating the pulp in addition to the aeration obtained by the airlift. At the same time the froth rises to the surface and is in a sense dried. When the pulp falls off of the apron, part of the "froth or scum containing the mineral and oil will be carried below the surface, but

dueto its buoyancy will quickly rise again.

The froth will pass toward. the launder 32 and be fedinto it by the skimmer 30, while the gangue will settle.

As the pulp flows over the apron, part of .it will pass back into the compartment 12, wliile the rest of it will flow into'the next compartment 13. In each case it will be carried up to the hood 20 and again be flowed over. apron 21. Eventually the gangue reaches the last compartment 14 from which it is discharged through pipe 40, the discharge being regulated by valve A and float-control as.

A. smooth, apron may be used as shown accompanying results are not obtained as where rifiles are used.

What I claim as new is:

1. In flotation apparatus, the combination with a plurality of adjacent compartments, of an aerating apron extending across all of said compartments, and a lift extending from the lower portion of each compartment to said apron to flow the pulp ontothc apron, said apron permitting the pulp elevated by each lift to spread and flow partly back to the corresponding compartment and partly to the adjacent compartment.

2. In flotation apparatus, the combination with a plurality of adjacent compartments, of an aerating apron extending across all of said compartments, an airlift extending from the lower portion of each compartment to said apron to flow the pulp onto the apron, and a hood at the to of said airlifts to direct the pulp onto tie apron, said apron permitting the pulp elevated by each lift to spread and flow partly back to the corresponding compartment and partly to the adjacent compartment.

3. A flotation apparatus, a plurality of compartments, a partition between said compartments, the forward walls of said compartments being lower than, the other walls to establish an overflow, the forward upper edge of said partition being higher than said forward walls to separate the forward portions of adjacent compartments, the top of the rear portion of the partition sloping rearwardly to a point below the overflow level.

4. A flotation apparatus, a plurality of compartments, a partition between adjacent compartments, the forward walls of said compartments being lower than the other walls to establish an overflow, the forward upper edge of said partition being higher than said forward walls to separate the forward portions of adjacent compartments, the top of the rear portion of the partition sloping rearwardly to a point below the overflow level, and a skimmer located at the forward portion of the device and having skimming blades which are crcnelated to fit said uppermost partition edge.

Flotation 'a 'iparatus comprising a plu rality of compartments, partitions between said compartments, the forward walls of. said. compartments being lower than the otherwalls to establish an overflow, the for ward upper edge of said partitions being higher than the forward walls to separate the forward portions of adjacent compart ments, the rear portion of the partitions sloping rearwardly to points below the o verflow level, pulp elevating means extending upwardly from the bottom of each compartment, an apron sloping downwardly from the top of the elevating means and over each of said compartments onto which apron the pulp rim be flowed from said afleva'ting means and from whim it may whereby the p11] p from B116 910 Ming; means WU flow buck mrtly mm the cornpzwtnlent whence- 11; (02116919, and partly mm the. noxtmessed- 111g n-mz'xpartmeznt.

i. A Hutu? apparatus. mmpz'ising a pinrality of wnpnrtmel'rls, a p21 u'tition b1 twaan the adjacent wmpmtnwnm 93m 01 ward "waliskfi said cokiupartment being lower than the M119 walls in establish n froth UV'dEfiGW, means m estnbhsi'a a "pulp leveL the furward u er edge 05 said purtlizmm extending above Said Emi level m sepmute the fmrward pm'iions 0f adjmzenb cumparfi mantra, Um (10p of the rear poi-U011 ctf. the pmiiition extending below'fim pulp In testimeny wlmreof 1. afiix 111.3? ssiglmmm.

BQNNELL. 

